Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristin Royster.
Kristin, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started making jewelry as a teenager but I have explored a lot of different artistic mediums including photography, sewing, crochet, metal-smithing, and ceramics leading to a variety of new product lines like crocheted pineapples, hand sewn purses, paintings, photo pillows and more.
It took me a long time to hone in on a consistent design aesthetic, as I find inspiration in many different mediums and places. Over time though, the theme I always find myself coming back to, regardless of the crafting technique I use, is centered on the beach, usually with a relaxed tropical and nautical vibe.
Since establishing my core beachy design theme, I have continued to try new crafting and artistic techniques, but with a more focused purpose. Jewelry and home decor remain a core focus of my business because I like the idea of adding beachy whimsy to your everyday life.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I started my full time small business journey in San Diego almost ten years ago. Progress was slow at first, designing and testing product lines, making inventory, all while doing a lot of craft shows. But as I was able to make connections with other small business owners on the same journey and some local consignment stores, I finally started to feel like my dreams were coming true. Then COVID happened and shortly after that, my husband’s military service moved us overseas. I quickly lost all of my physical retail presence that I had worked years to achieve, and had numerous roadblocks I had overcome to keep my online stores open, due to military rules regarding use of the mail, who I was allowed to sell to and when, and finding friends / partners willing to support me back in the states in a drop shipping capacity.
Not being someone who likes to give up, I decided to shift the focus of my business from physical retail products to digital pattern design while my husband’s work took priority over my business. After investing significant time and money in several classes and new equipment to develop this new skill, I am proud to now be sharing my work as a digital creator of long-form relaxing lofi videos on YouTube for my beachy patterns (@SetSailByKristin).. I briefly tried transitioning my designs into seamless patterns for print on demand products, but it really did not bring me joy to make designs for products I may never get to physically hold, so I shifted back to work that continues to keep me inspired every day.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My retail footprint remains small with just a few core products on my Etsy and Faire stores, along with some print on demand products available via Zazzle and RedBubble. I am looking forward to changing that in the next couple of years when my husband is able to retire after 20 years of service, but for now am focused on expanding my digital presence. I have always enjoyed turning on a gently animated art videos in the background while I work or read, so I am exploring that niche with my own art. If you tune into my @SetSailByKristin channel on YouTube you find a multitude of hand-painted stop-motion beachy patterns set to relaxing music for your viewing enjoyment. I also am trying a similar theme on the @SetSailTravels channel, which features relaxing scenes I photographed and set to music.
I think these videos certainly are different from a lot of the other long-form Lo-Fi video content as they are hand drawn and animated instead of AI created. The design, animation, editing, and upload process is all done by me for each long form video, along with all of the other daily “tasks” recommended for new digital content creators. When I went on vacation recently, I missed painting my patterns, so I know I have found something very creatively fulfilling for me, and hopefully enjoyable for you too.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
One of my favorite childhood memories was going to sailing camp when I was in elementary school in Southern California. My friend and I were sailing a 16 foot capri and we were headed toward open ocean. The wind really picked up and the waves were getting very large and choppy. We almost capsized while the camp teachers were in a speed boat far away. Luckily, we avoided capsizing and turned around safely. I think it helped us learn that we can do big things, even before you think you’re ready.
Pricing:
- My YouTube videos are free to watch!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://set-sail-by-kristin.myshopify.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/setsail.bykristin
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SetSailByKristin
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Setsailbykristin
- Other: https://setsailbykristin.etsy.com
